Alexandria - 5

NIALL CHRISTIE
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Reconstructing Life in Medieval Alexandria

from an Eighth/Fourteenth Century Waqf Document*
On 12 Juma≠dá I 726/16 April 1326, the Mamluk sultan of Egypt, al-Na≠s˝ir

Muh˝ammad, sold a large quantity of property in Alexandria. The purpose of this
sale was to finance an increase in the salaries and allowances of the inhabitants of
the kha≠nqa≠h (Sufi convent) at Sirya≠qu≠s, some twenty miles northeast of Cairo,
which he had founded the previous year. The transaction and the subsequent
increases in salaries are recorded in a waqf (religious endowment) document from
the period, now kept at the Da≠r al-Watha≠’iq al-Qawm|yah in Cairo.1 In the document
the property to be sold, which consists of inns, dye-houses, oil presses, and other
buildings, is described in great detail. The approximate positions of the buildings
in Alexandria are also specified. These details allow the modern historian to
collect a large amount of information regarding the spatial relationships between
the individual structures and the area they occupied, as well as giving an insight
into the activities that took place there.
Currently modern knowledge of the layout of medieval Alexandria (Fig. 1) is
fairly sparse.2 Writers of the period give only a general description of the city, and
so this waqf document, published by Muh˝ammad Muh˝ammad Am|n in 1982,3
sheds vital new light on this topic. In this article an attempt is made to reconstruct
maps of the properties described and, where possible, to determine their approximate
location using a combination of the document and the existing reconstructions of
Middle East Documentation Center. The University of Chicago.

*
The majority of the research for this paper was conducted at the University of Toronto, with the
support of the Leverhulme Trust. The author would like to acknowledge the contributions of
Professor Olivia Remie Constable of the University of Notre Dame, who gave the author numerous
helpful suggestions, and Professor Linda S. Northrup of the University of Toronto, who gave
countless words of advice and wisdom.
1
The waqf is written on the versos of two documents, 25/4 and 31/5. The rectos contain the
original waqf of the kha≠nqa≠h.
2
The map is derived from those published in ‘Abd al-‘Az|z Sa≠lim, Ta≠r|kh al-Iskandar|yah wa-
H˛ad˝a≠ratuha≠ f| al-‘As˝r al-Isla≠m| (Alexandria, 1961), 115; idem, Takht¸|t¸ Mad|nat al-Iskandar|yah
wa-‘Umra≠niha≠ f| al-‘As˝r al-Isla≠m| (Beirut, 1964), (between) 80–81, 96–97; and Martina Müller-
Wiener, Eine Stadtgeschichte Alexandrias von 564/1169 bis in die Mitte des 9./15. Jahrhunderts
(Berlin, 1992), 332.
3
As an appendix to Ibn H˛ab|b al-H˛alab|, Tadhkirat al-Nabih f| Ayya≠m al-Mans˝u≠r wa-Ban|h, ed.
Muh˝ammad Muh˝ammad Am|n (Cairo, 1982). The document may be found on pages 419–48.
Article: http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/MSR_VIII-2_2004-Christie.pdf
or http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/MSR_VIII-2_2004-Christie_11MB.pdf (higher resolution images)
Full volume: http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/MamlukStudiesReview_VIII-2_2004.pdf
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©2004 by the author. (Disregard notice of MEDOC copyright.) This work is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International license (CC-BY). Mamlūk Studies Review is an Open Access journal. See http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/msr.html for information.
164 NIALL C HRISTIE, R ECONSTRUCTING LIFE IN MEDIEVAL ALEXANDRIA
the city by modern historians, which are based on the historical sources.
Consideration will also be given to the role of the properties in the city and its
commercial life. A translation of the relevant part of the waqf document (lines
15–91) forms an appendix to the article.
FUNDUQ AL-BAYD˝ WA-AL-QAS˝AB (FIG. 2, LINES 15–28)

The first property described in the document is listed as being a funduq named
"al-Bayd˝ wa-al-Qas˝ab." The modern Arabic word funduq means a hotel, and derives
from the Greek pandokheion.4 In the Middle Ages it had a similar meaning, being
a hostelry where people could store goods and find lodging for themselves and
their animals.5 As Olivia Remie Constable has shown, textual references to fana≠diq
are found in documents dating from at least as early as the year 284/896,6 and
isolated references to them continue to appear during the fourth/tenth century.7
References to fana≠diq become much more common during the Ayyubid sultanate
(564–647/1169–1249),8 and throughout the Mamluk Sultanate (647–923/1249–1517)
they occupied a position of great importance in the Levant. The majority of the
clientele of these fana≠diq were merchants.
As Martina Müller-Wiener notes, fana≠diq were administered in a number of
ways. Some were owned and administered by families or amirs who were heavily
involved in trade, whereas others were dedicated to particular trades or to particular
nationalities.9 The last was particularly true in Alexandria, as European trade was
4
See Olivia Remie Constable, "Reconsidering the Origin of the Funduq," Studia Islamica 92
(2001): 195–96. The Byzantines used the term phoundax (itself derived from funduq) to refer to
these buildings. Other buildings similar in function included the Byzantine mitaton, and the
Muslim kha≠n and waka≠lah (Ennio Concina, Fondaci [Venice, 1997], 21, 58).
5
R. le Tourneau, "Funduk˝," The Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed., 2:945. Mirfat Mah˝mu≠d ‘¡sá
suggests that fana≠diq were not themselves used for accommodation, but that they normally had a
rab‘ (living quarters) built above them that fulfilled this function ("Dira≠sah f| Watha≠’iq al-Sult¸a≠n
al-Malik al-Ashraf Sha‘ba≠n ibn H˛usayn: al-Munsha’a≠t al-Tija≠r|yah wa-Ad˝wa≠’ Jad|dah ‘alá Takht¸|t¸
al-Mi‘ma≠r| lil-Fana≠diq wa-al-Riba≠‘ f| al-‘As˝r al-Mamlu≠k|," Al-Mu’arrikh al-Mis˝r| 21 [1999]:
155–56). This distinction does not seem to be drawn in this document.
6
Constable, "Reconsidering the Origin of the Funduq," 196.
7
See M. Sharon, "A Waqf Inscription from Ramlah," Arabica 13 (1966): 77–84; Ibn H˛awqal,
Kita≠b S˛u≠rat al-Ard˝, ed. J. H. Kramers, Bibliotheca Geographorum Arabicorum, vol. 2 (Leiden,
1967), 432–33; and Abu≠ al-Ma‘a≠l| al-Musharraf ibn al-Murajja≠ ibn Ibra≠h|m al-Maqdis|, Fad˝a≠’il
Bayt al-Maqdis wa-al-Khal|l wa-Fad˝a≠’il al-Sha≠m, ed. Ofer Livne-Kafri (Shfaram, 1995), 200.
Although the last of these was written between 1030 and 1040, the account seems to date from the
previous century.
8
André Raymond and Gaston Wiet, Les Marchés du Caire, Textes Arabes et Études Islamiques,
vol. 14 (Cairo, 1979), 2.
9
Müller-Wiener, Stadtgeschichte Alexandrias, 250–51.
MAMLU±K STUDIES REVIEW VOL . 8, NO. 2, 2004 165
not allowed in Cairo,10 and hence the town became Egypt's most important center
for trade between the East and the West. However, unless the name has no direct
connection to the usage of the establishment, rather like that of an English public
house, it would seem to indicate that the funduq described here is based around
trades, in this case in bayd˝ (eggs) and qas˝ab (reeds or sugar cane), rather than
being linked to a particular family or nationality.
The waqf states that this funduq is located on the southern side of the Mah˝ajjah
al-‘Uz˝má, the main road that runs from the Rosetta Gate at the east end of
Alexandria to the Green Gate at the west end. Given that the Muslims used the
West Harbor of the town,11 and might be expected to prefer shorter rather than
longer trips to transport their goods (particularly in the case of eggs!), a western
location on this road is not inconceivable.
The layout of the funduq itself seems to be slightly different from that of other
Alexandrian fana≠diq of the Middle Ages. One enters through a door into a vestibule
(dihl|z), before coming into a central hallway (qa≠‘ah), which is surrounded by
other rooms, mostly storerooms (makha≠zin) with a vault (khaznah) on the eastern
side. The layout of the first floor is similar, with another central hall surrounded
by two rooms, a pantry (khurista≠n), a utility room (murtafaq) and a bay window
(rawshan) projecting out from the northern wall. Directly above the bay window
is another similar bay window and a small room. One of the major sources for the
layout of these buildings, the German traveller Felix Fabri, who travelled to
Alexandria in 887–88/1483, describes fana≠diq belonging to the Venetians, Genoese,
and Catalans, and all of them have central spaces like those found here, but these
are courtyards, rather than the halls found in this building.12 He notes that the
Catalan and the larger of the two Venetian fana≠diq he saw are constructed like
monasteries,13 with the Catalan funduq in particular having bedrooms around the
courtyard.14 This implies a cloister-like structure, with buildings surrounding the
10
Subhi Labib, Handelsgeschichte Ägyptens im Spätmittelalter (1171–1517) (Wiesbaden, 1965),
197.
11
Ibid., 134. Franks and Byzantines used the East Harbor.
12
Felix Fabri, Voyage en Egypte, trans. R. P. Jacques Masson (Paris, 1975), 693–95, 959–61.
Bernhard von Breydenbach, another German traveller who made the pilgrimage in this year, notes
Alexandrian fana≠diq belonging to the King of Sicily, the Venetians (two), and the Genoese
(Bernhard von Breydenbach, Die Reise ins Heilige Land, ed. Elisabeth Geck [Wiesbaden, 1961],
39). Symon Semeonis, an Irish friar who visited the city in 723–24/1323, notes fana≠diq belonging
to Marseilles, Genoa, Venice, the Catalans "and others" (Symon Semeonis, Itinerarium Symonis
Semeonis ab Hybernia ad Terram Sanctam, ed. and trans. Mario Esposito, Scriptores Latini
Hiberniae, vol. 4 [Dublin, 1960], 48–49).
13
Fabri, Voyage, 694, 960.
14
Ibid., 694.
central yard.15 However, be it a hall or a courtyard, it seems likely that the central
space surrounded by other rooms was a standard design for fana≠diq in Alexandria.
Expanding beyond the city, there are also examples of Cairene fana≠diq from the
period built in this way,16 and Ennio Concina has shown that the design was used
for fana≠diq and similar buildings in Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and throughout
the Levant,17 although it is not clear exactly where it originated. One can imagine
that it would be practical, since the central space would provide both an area for
maneuvering large bundles of goods and safe overflow storage for times when the
stores were full. Fabri describes the two Venetian fana≠diq as having goods stored
in the courtyard,18 which would seem to support this possibility.
The existence of shops outside this funduq suggests two possibilities. Either
local merchants set up shops outside fana≠diq in order to supply travellers with
goods, or the travelling merchants carried out some direct trade with the public,
rather than trading entirely through agents. Either way, the location of shops
outside fana≠diq was a normal practice at the time.19
It is worth noting that there does not appear to be a religious building of any
type in this funduq. This further supports the suggestion that this was not a
building used by foreigners, from the West at least. As Wilhelm von Heyd notes,
fana≠diq used by Europeans had chapels, where Western priests ministered to the
inhabitants.20 In Alexandria this service would not be required by local traders,
who could attend religious buildings in the city. Thus the absence of a religious
building in the funduq suggests that it probably catered to local inhabitants, rather
than Europeans.
Two of the buildings surrounding the funduq are of particular interest. The
ruined bath on the west side is interesting as there seems to be a link between
baths and fana≠diq. It is understandable that hot, sweaty travellers might be relieved
to find a bath near the funduq in which they were staying, but what is interesting
is that the bath is ruined. The historian al-Maqr|z| (766–845/1364–1442), in his
15
This is also in accordance with the description given by Wilhelm von Heyd in Histoire du
Commerce du Levant au Moyen Âge (Leipzig, 1923), 2:430.
16
For other examples from the period, see Sylvie Denoix et al., Le Khan al-Khalili et ses Environs:
Un Centre Commercial et Artisanal au Caire du XIIIe au XX e Siècle, Études Urbaines, vol. 4/1–2
(Cairo 1999), 2:8–10 and 105–8 (both in Arabic section).
17
Described in Concina, Fondaci.
18
Fabri, Voyage, 960.
19
See ‘¡sá, "Dira≠sah f| Watha≠’iq," 143.
20
Heyd, Histoire du Commerce, 2:433. According to Fabri's work, this is true of the Genoese,
Catalan, and at least one of the Venetian fana≠diq. See Fabri, Voyage, 691–92, 959. Muslim
fana≠diq did sometimes contain mosques or rooms for prayer. However, this is not the case with
regard to either of the fana≠diq mentioned in this document.
description, or Khit¸at¸, of Egypt, refers to two fana≠diq in similar locations in

Cairo. The Funduq ‘Amma≠r al-H˛amma≠m|, in the area of Suwayqat al-Mas‘u≠d|,
was built on the site of a ruined bath,21 and the great funduq of the Office of
Inheritances, in the area of al-Akfa≠n|y|n, was built next to similar ruins.22 This
might suggest that there was something provided by such ruins that fana≠diq required.
The most likely answer is that fana≠diq required large quantities of water for both
the inhabitants and their beasts. However, in the face of a lack of definite evidence,
this must be regarded as mere speculation for the moment.
The second building of interest is the madrasah on the other side of the baking
oven and ruined bath. The madrasah is that of Abu≠ T˛a≠hir ibn ‘Awf, which was
established by Rid˝wa≠n al-Khash|, the vizier of the Fatimid caliph al-H˛a≠fiz˝, in
533/1137.23 Unfortunately, the identification of this madrasah is of limited use in
establishing the precise location of the funduq. Although the madrasah was well
known in the Mamluk period, nothing remains of it today24 and its exact location
is unknown.
FUNDUQ A N D SESAME OI L PRESS (FUNDUQ W A-MI‘S ˝A RAT AL-SH|RAJ, F IG . 3, LINES

28–45)
The second property described consists of two buildings, another funduq and a
sesame oil press. It is difficult to determine the exact location of these two buildings,
as no information is given regarding this apart from that they are on the eastern
side of Musk Alley, as shown. The fact that they are bordered to the south by
three markets might suggest that they are on the northern side of the Mah˝ajjah
al-‘Uz˝má, between the East Mosque and the Sea Gate, for as Müller-Wiener
notes, it is here that most of the markets were located.25 However, this location is
by no means certain.
This second funduq, which is not named, is constructed in a similar fashion to
the Funduq al-Bayd˝ wa-al-Qas˝ab, although its layout is more complex. Once
again, it has the central hall surrounded by stores. However, instead of another
hall on the first floor it has a wooden gallery (riwa≠q khashab) which goes around
the space above the hall below and crosses it from east to west.26 This seems more
21
H˛amma≠m Ibn Qaraqah, listed in al-Maqr|z|, Al Mawa≠‘iz˝ wa-al-I‘tiba≠r f| Dhikr al-Khit¸at¸ wa-al-
A±tha≠r (Bulaq, n.d.), 2:81.
22
H˛amma≠m ‘Aj|nah, listed in ibid., 2:81.
23
Sa≠lim, Ta≠r|kh al-Iskandar|yah, 63–4. See also Ibn H˛ab|b, Tadhkirat al-Nabih, 430, n. 4.
24
Sa≠lim, Takht¸|t¸ Mad|nat al-Iskandar|yah, 79–80.
25
Müller-Wiener, Stadtgeschichte Alexandrias, 241.
26
A similar arrangement is found in the layout of the Funduq al-H˛ujar, in the area of Ba≠b
al-Zuhu≠mah in Cairo. This building is recorded in the waqf of the sultan Barsba≠y, written in
in accordance with the standard design of fana≠diq described earlier, in that the
central space at ground level is open to the elements. The gallery is surrounded by
rooms upstairs, in what seems to be the usual arrangement. The stores on the
eastern side of the first floor are used by (mah˝mu≠l ‘alá) shops in the Carpenters'
Market to the south. Again, there are shops outside the door, suggesting direct
trade was carried out with the public, and there are no religious buildings in the
funduq, implying that it catered mainly to local inhabitants.
Immediately to the south of the funduq is a sesame oil press. This is a simple,
two-storey building with a baking oven, an animal stall, and a variety of pieces of
equipment for making the oil in a small rectangular area on the ground floor. On
the first floor are two stores. The existence of this press is interesting as, according
to Subhi Labib, Egypt imported oil, most particularly sesame oil,27 which was
rarely produced in the country.28
It is not clear if there was a link between the press and the funduq, or whether
they are mentioned as being together purely for convenience's sake. The funduq
door, the public fountain, and two shops to the north of the funduq door are
contributory to (h˝a≠milah ilá) the mosque next door. This fact, and the fact that
several stores are used by two shops in the Carpenters' Market, as mentioned
above, suggest a fairly high level of interaction between the funduq and other
local properties and institutions. In the case of the stores that are used by the
shops in the Carpenters' Market, the use of storage space nearby is understandable.
However, the precise relationship between the mosque, its shops, and the funduq
is less clear. It seems that the funduq is required in some way to contribute to the
mosque's upkeep, but what form this takes, and why only parts of the property are
regarded in this way, remains a mystery. It may be that the incomes of these parts
of the property are a waqf for the mosque.
GLASS-WORKS (ZAJJA ≠JAH, FIG. 4, LINES 45–52)

The next property described is a glass-works, which according to the document is
located in an area known as the (two) baths of al-Akhawayn. The location of this
area is unknown, but as the property contains a well that is described as being on
the Nile, this might place it on the western side of the city, where the khal|j from
the river passes through it.
The glass-works, which the waqf states was originally a soap-works (s˝abba≠nah),
consists of a vestibule that goes past two rooms and a well, before ending at a
846/1442. It also has an upper storey that overlooks the courtyard, although this does not include a
gallery (see Denoix, Khan al-Khalili, 2:8–10 [Arabic section]).
27
Labib, Handelsgeschichte Ägyptens, 39
28
Ibid., 321.
hall. On the opposite side of the hall is a store, a room where the glass is made,
and a sa≠ba≠t¸, which Muh˝ammad Muh˝ammad Am|n and Laylá ‘Al| Ibra≠h|m describe
as a raised passageway which would normally pass between two buildings above
ground level.29 Since the waqf does not state that the rest of the building is above
ground level, this definition does not seem to be appropriate here. It is more likely
to be a roofed passageway at ground level. A number of properties in this document
include these structures, as will be shown below. The passageway contains a
number of pieces of equipment that are left over from when the building was a
soap-works.
It is interesting that the glass-works is bordered by the house of a Jewish
jeweler to the north, and the house of a (presumably Muslim) swordsmith to the
east. The existence of these craftsmen side by side suggests that Alexandria may
not have had sharply delineated quarters defined by the religions of their inhabitants,
but consisted rather of a mix of peoples living throughout the town. However, in
the face of a lack of further evidence, it is difficult to say how far this one instance
is representative of the general situation.
DYE-WORKS (MAS ˝BAGHAH, FIG. 5, LINES 52–57)

This dye-works is one of two properties that the waqf describes as being located
in an area called "al-Qamarah."30 As ‘Abd al-‘Az|z Sa≠lim notes, in the Classical
era the gate at the western end of Alexandria was known as the Gate of the
Moon.31 It might be that the area near the gate would have picked up its name. If
one were to assume that the name of the gate was carried over after the Muslim
conquest, becoming Arabicized to "Ba≠b al-Qamar,"32 before falling out of use in
favor of the name "al-Ba≠b al-Akhd˝ar" (the Green Gate), it might be that the name
of the area nearby would also have become Arabicized, becoming "al-Qamarah"
(the crescent moon).33 This would place this property at the west end of Alexandria,
near the Green Gate.
One enters the dye-works through a vestibule containing a well, before coming
into a hall, on the opposite side of which is another hall, a sa≠ba≠t¸, a room, and a
staircase leading up to another room. On the north side of the building, to the west
of the vestibule, is another area where dyeing kettles are made.
29
Muh˝ammad Muh˝ammad Am|n and Laylá ‘Al| Ibra≠h|m, Al-Mus˝t¸alah˝a≠t al-Mi‘ma≠r|yah f| al-
Watha≠’iq al-Mamlu≠k|yah (Cairo, 1990), 60.
30
The other is the slaughterhouse listed next in the document.
31
Sa≠lim, Ta≠r|kh al-Iskandar|yah, 19.
32
This is the name used by the Arabic sources (Sa≠lim, Takht¸|t¸ Mad|nat al-Iskandar|yah, 42).
33
It is known that the Muslims did not change the layout of the town when they conquered it
(ibid., 69).
Textiles formed a large proportion of the industry of Alexandria. As one of the

major trade centers between the East and the West, it was well positioned to take
advantage of the dyes that passed through the town. Labib describes numerous
dyes that came to Egypt from India and places further east.34 Thus it is likely that
this building was very important to merchants who dealt in textiles. It is probably
no accident that it was built immediately to the north of the silk funduq.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE (MASLAKH, FIG. 6, LINES 57–61)

This is noted as being the second property in al-Qamarah, but beyond that little
information is given. The properties around the building are mentioned, consisting
of two houses and a dye-works. However, the description of the building itself is
very brief.
DYE-WORKS (MAS ˝BAGHAH, FIG. 7, LINES 61–69)

This property is located in an area called al-Qat¸t¸a≠b|n, and would appear to be on
the other side of the area of Bi’r H˛ar, to the east of the slaughterhouse just
mentioned, as the document states that the road runs from this property west to
Bi’r H˛ar, whereas the road was described as running east from the previous
property to the area. Assuming the area is not huge, this would place this property
in the western end of the city, near al-Qamarah. This proposed location is further
supported by the existence of a well on the Nile canal inside the building.
The description of this building is slightly confused, particularly as the Arabic
word "mutaqa≠bil" may mean either "being opposite" or "being together with." In
particular, the two |wa≠ns are described as "mutaqa≠bil" but then it is stated that one
is in the north, and the other in the west. The map given presents what seems to be
the most likely arrangement.
SCALDING-HOUSE (MASMAT¸, FIG. 8, LINES 69–72)

The description of this building is very brief. It is described as being a large
building roofed with wood and palm fronds in the area of Lesser H˛adda≠d|n. The
properties surrounding it are also mentioned, consisting of a blacksmith's shop, an
oil press, and the Qaysa≠r|yat al-Nasha≠, which may be a perfume workshop. Apart
from that there is no further information.
SESAME OIL PRESS (MA‘S ˝ARAT AL-SH| RAJ, FIG. 9, LINES 72–78)
This property is in the area of Da≠r al-Jad|dah, Qaysa≠r|yat al-A‘ja≠m, and Furn
al-Sabba≠nah. "Qaysa≠r|yat al-A‘ja≠m" translates as "the trade complex of the non-
34
Labib, Handelsgeschichte Ägyptens, 334–35.
Arabs," which might place the property in the eastern half of Alexandria, near the
harbor used by foreigners.
The description of the property is confused, seeming to make little sense when
it is drawn out, and so the map presented here should be seen as a particularly
rough reconstruction. In particular, it has been assumed that the entrance passage
turns to the north, in order to allow for the existence of rooms on either side of it,
even though this is not specified in the document. Again, the existence of this
press seems to contradict Labib's suggestion that sesame oil was rarely produced
in Egypt.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE (MASLAKH, FIG. 10, LINES 79–83)

This slaughterhouse is described as being in the area of the Great Market, to the
south of it. Considering that the funduq and sesame oil press described in lines
29–45 of the document are described as being to the north of the Great Market,
this would place this property somewhere to the south of these, perhaps on the
northern side of the Mah˝ajjah al-‘Uz˝má, between the East Mosque and the Sea
Gate, where most of the markets were located.
The description of the property itself is extremely brief, and as it seems to
consist of only a vestibule and a sa≠ba≠t¸, it is not clear exactly where the actual
slaughter of animals takes place. It is surrounded by a shop, a bench where skins
are sold, a mosque, and an area where taro is grown.
BAKING OVEN (TANNU≠R, FIG. 11, LINES 83–91)

The last urban property described in the document35 is a baking oven on the
southern side of the street running from it in the direction of Saq|fat al-Zard|. It
includes an upper level, which seems to include a way down to the hall below.
However, it is not clear how this is achieved, and so a way down has not been
marked on the map.
CONCLUSION
It is important, when conducting a study of this type, to remember that one is
dealing with possibilities, rather than definite facts. The information presented in
the waqf document is unclear, with the descriptions of the buildings being vague
and sometimes confused. This suggests that the scribe was not actually at the
properties when the descriptions were written. In addition, it is notable that towards
the end of the list of properties the descriptions gradually become shorter and less
detailed, with more difficulties regarding the feasibility of the layouts described.
35
The document also describes a piece of rural property which is sold to help finance the waqf.
This, combined with increasing omissions of words (particularly "yantah|" [extends]

in the description of borders) suggests that the scribe may have become either
rushed or bored with this part of his work. Given that the rest of the document is
carefully written, the latter seems more likely. One additional problem with the
descriptions of the properties sold is that they lack any measurements.
As a result of the problems with the descriptions, the maps presented here
must be regarded as possible interpretations, rather than definite representations.
Likewise, the interpretations of the relations between the properties, the surrounding
environment, and the local inhabitants, based as they are on sparse historical
records and a relatively small quantity of modern scholarship, must also be regarded
as remaining open to debate. However, despite the tentative nature of the
reconstructions presented here, they present a model that may be enhanced and
refined as more information becomes available in the future, and so remain a valid
contribution towards our knowledge of the geography and history of Alexandria.
Regardless of the problems with the reconstruction of properties, this document
still sheds an important light on al-Na≠s˝ir Muh˝ammad and his involvement in
Levantine trade. The properties being sold by this sultan represent a wide range of
trades and commodities, including reeds or sugar cane, eggs, sesame oil,
glassmaking, dyeing, slaughter of livestock, and preparation of meat and bread, to
say nothing of income from accommodating merchants and travellers in the fana≠diq.
As has been noted by Eliyahu Ashtor and Ira M. Lapidus, the Mamluk sultans and
amirs of Egypt, including al-Na≠s˝ir Muh˝ammad, were frequently involved in the
exploitation of products of particular commercial importance, of which sugar was
one,36 so his ownership of a funduq which may have been involved in this important
trade is not surprising. However, it is interesting to note how many other trades
al-Na≠s˝ir Muh˝ammad was involved in. It would not be unreasonable to suggest
that this mercantile policy might also have been employed by the Mamluk amirs,
in order to avoid being vulnerable to crises in the market for a particular commodity.
Many of the trades represented by these properties declined significantly during
the eighth/fourteenth and ninth/fifteenth centuries. Most particularly, the trade in
sugar, textiles, glass, oil, and soap suffered in the face of increasing European
competition.37 Amalia Levanoni traces the origins of this decline back to excessive
expenditure during al-Na≠s˝ir Muh˝ammad's reign, during which there was also a
36
Eliyahu Ashtor, "Levantine Sugar Industry in the Later Middle Ages—an Example of Technological
Decline," in Technology, Industry and Trade: The Levant versus Europe, 1250–1500, ed. Benjamin
Z. Kedar, Variorum Collected Studies Series (Croft Road, Hampshire, and Brookfield, Vermont,
1992), 237–40; and Ira M. Lapidus, "The Grain Economy of Mamluk Egypt," Journal of the
Economic and Social History of the Orient 12 (1969): 1.
37
Amalia Levanoni, A Turning Point in Mamluk History: The Third Reign of al-Na≠s˝ir Muh˝ammad
ibn Qala≠wu≠n (1310–1341) (Leiden and New York, 1995), 140–41.
significant decline in the transit trade with Europe.38 In this light, the sale of a
number of properties associated with trades that would eventually wane seems
ominous, although it may be too early to read any greater significance into it.
The use of contemporary legal documents is a relatively new field in Islamic
studies, simply due to the fact that it is only recently that collections of such
documents have become available to modern scholars. In addition to giving insights
into both the possible geography and urban life of medieval Alexandria and the
mercantile policy of al-Na≠s˝ir Muh˝ammad and the Mamluk amirs, this article
illustrates one way in which these documents may be used to complement the
evidence of textual sources, illuminating aspects of urban history that they neglect.
38
Ibid., 142–96.
APPENDIX
15.39 . . . All of the funduq that is in the protected port of Alexandria, known as
Funduq al-Bayd˝ wa-al-Qas˝ab.
16. He is appointed to sell it40 and the four shops outside its door and the upper
level overlooking the north side of the funduq mentioned
17. and its shops mentioned. It is on the Mah˝ajjah al-‘Uz˝má. On the southern
side of it [the road] on the east side are two of the shops of its [the funduq's]
property, and on the west side of it are two shops
18. also of its property. One enters from the door of the funduq to a vestibule
that has a platform on the western side of it. Then one enters a hall
19. in which, on the eastern side, there are three stores containing the property
of others. Next to them is a door through which one enters a vault, which is part
of the property of this funduq.
20. That is going round in a circle from the south.41 On the west side there are
also three stores. On the north side to the east of the vestibule are two stores,
21. and to the west of the vestibule is one store. On the opposite side of the
funduq are three stores. The door of the overlooking upper level mentioned is to
the west of the two western shops mentioned.
22. One goes up from it on a stone staircase to a vestibule, then to the door of a
marbled hall. On the western side of the hall is a room, and opposite it is a room
like it. On
23. the southern side is a platform, next to which is a door to the utilities.
Opposite the platform on the northern side is a bay window made of baked brick
and lime. In it are
24. windows with wooden shutters looking out over the road. Next to the bay
window is a pantry in which is a wooden staircase. One goes up it to a bay
window, above the bay window
25. mentioned, with windows with wooden shutters also looking out over the
road. Next to it is a small room in which is a staircase. One goes up it to the roof
above.
26. Four borders surround that [property]. The southern [border] extends to the
crypt, which is the tomb of the Muslims. Its second border, which is the northern
[border], extends to the
27. main street, which is the Mah˝ajjah al-‘Uz˝má, in which is its door. The
eastern [border] extends to a house known as [belonging to] Shiha≠b al-H˛all, the
39
The description begins on the fifteenth line of the document.
40
Reading "li-bay‘ihi."
41
In other words, from south to north one has a store, another store, another store, and then a
vault.
house of Muh˝ammad al-Kara≠bil| and the upper level known as

28. [that of] Ibn al-Zarqa≠. The western [border] extends to the ruined bath and
the baking oven, which separate it from the ‘Awf| madrasah. And [also being sold
is] all of
29. the funduq and the sesame oil press and the five shops outside their doors,
which are in Alexandria in the area of
30. Musk Alley. The sesame oil press is outside the funduq mentioned. The
doors of these places are on42 the east side
31. of the alley mentioned. One sees their doors from the west. One enters the
funduq through the door to a vestibule on the southern side of which is a platform,
32. [then] one enters a hall. On the northern side of it are four stores, in one of
which is a cistern. On the eastern side of it are also four stores
33. and a staircase with stone stairs. One goes up it to a long passageway in
which are six stores. These stores are used by shops in the Carpenters' Market.
34. Some of them are religious bequests. On the southern side of the lower part
of the funduq are three stores. On the western side is a false door. On the eastern
side
35. is a staircase that one goes up on stone stairs to a second level, on top of the
stores below, and a wooden gallery with wooden bannisters. In the middle of the
36. gallery is a gallery with wooden bannisters extending from it, from the east
side, to the west side. On the northern side of the
37. second level are four rooms, on the eastern side are five rooms, on the
southern side are four rooms, and on the western side are four rooms.
38. Then one goes down to the hall of the funduq and one finds next to the
platform of the vestibule a door in which is a staircase. One goes up it to the roof
of the funduq mentioned. One goes out of the funduq and one finds next to it, on
the southern side, the door of the oil press. One enters through it to a small
rectangle in which is a baking oven. Opposite it is
39. the sesame oil [grind]stone. On the northern side are oils and kneading
troughs. Above the oil press shop is a store for sesame seeds. To the west of it
[the store] is another store. To the north
40. of the [grind]stone is an animal stall. The two stores were property of the
funduq mentioned. To the south of the door of the oil press are three shops, and to
the north of its door
41. is the door of the funduq, the cistern of a public fountain, and the two
remaining shops. The door of the funduq and the cistern of the public fountain43
and the two shops next to
42
Lit. "clinging to."
43
Reading "s˝ahr|j al-sab|l."
42. the cistern are contributory44 to a mosque there. That is surrounded by four
borders. The southern [border] extends to the two shops separating the southernmost
shops
43. outside the door45 from the Great Market, which extends from it to the
Carpenters' Market on the east side and to the market . . .46
44. on the west side. The northern [border] extends to the mosque mentioned
and to the funduq known as [that of] al-Jama≠l| ‘Abd Alla≠h ibn H˛asan ‘Al|. The
eastern [border extends] to the Qaysa≠r|yah
45. al-Jukunda≠r|yah, known now as Sufi dwellings. The western [border] extends
to the street in Musk Alley, and in it is the door. And [also being sold is] all of
46. soap-works, which is now a glass-works for making glass in the protected
port of Alexandria in the area of the two baths of al-Akhawayn, on the
47. eastern side of the passing alley, which is on the northern side of the two
baths mentioned. One enters through its door into a vestibule in which, on the left
48. of the one entering, is a room. Opposite it is a utility room. Next to the door
of the room is a cistern, then one enters a hall, in the eastern side of which is a
sa≠ba≠t¸
49. and two pillars. In it is a copper dome for making soap and also basin
troughs for the soap. Opposite this sa≠ba≠t¸ is a room, next to which is
50. a well on the Nile canal. On the opposite side of the hall is a large room for
making the glass, next to which is a store. Four borders surround that. The southern
[border] extends to
51. the main street to the two baths mentioned and other places. The northern
[border] extends to the house of Mu≠sá the Jewish jeweller. The eastern [border
extends] to the house of Muh˝ammad
52. the swordsmith. The western [border] extends to the main alleyway, and in
it is its door. And [also being sold is] all of the dye-works
53. that is in the port of Alexandria in the area of al-Qamarah. One enters
through its door into a vestibule in which is a well, then one enters a hall in the
southern side
54. of which is an |wa≠n.47 Opposite it is a place in which dyeing kettles are
made. Opposite it is a sa≠ba≠t¸ with pillars. Next to it is a room, and next to the room
is a staircase. One goes up
55. it on stone steps to another upper room above the lower room mentioned.
Four borders surround that. The southern [border extends] to the silk funduq
44
Reading "h˝a≠milat tilka."
45
Lit. "the southern shops of its shops, which are outside its door."
46
Unreadable word in manuscript.
47
Three-sided hall.
56. facing the tomb of Fud˝u≠l the teacher. The northern [border extends] to the
main street, and in it is its door. The eastern [border extends] to the upper level of
which it is mentioned that it is property of
57. Sayf al-D|n Khalaf ibn Fara≠j. The western [border extends] to the school
appointed for the teaching of the noble Quran. And [also being sold is] all of
58. the slaughterhouse, which is appointed for the slaughter of sheep in the
protected port of Alexandria, in the area of al-Qamarah on the southern side of the
street running from it
59. eastwards in the direction of Bi’r H˛ar. On enters through its door to a large
room for the purpose of slaughtering the sheep. Four borders surround that. The
southern [border] extends to the house
60. of al-Nas˝a≠r|. The northern [border extends] to the main street. The eastern
[border extends] to the dye-works known as the bequest of the amir Sayf al-D|n
Salla≠r.
61. The western [border] extends to the house of Abu≠ al-Hina≠ the Christian,
and in it is its door. This slaughterhouse contains the property of others. And [also
being sold is] all of
62. the dye-works that is in the protected port of Alexandria in al-Qat¸t¸a≠b|n, on
the northern side of the street running east of it
63. to al-Maqu≠qas, and west, passing in the direction of Bi’r H˛ar. One enters
through its door into a vestibule in which are two rooms opposite one another.
One has in it a sitt jawa≠b|48
64. for the purpose of dyeing, and a room [that has] in it a well on the Nile
canal. One enters from it [the vestibule] into a hall in which are two |wa≠ns near
one another in the west and the north. The western [one] has in it a vault
65. with a door. Next to the northern [one] is a room for firewood and utilities
and a staircase. One goes up it to an upper room above its shop, [which is to the]
west of49 its [the dye-works'] door
66. and next to its door. On the eastern side there is also a shop of its property.
This dye-works has four borders. The southern [border extends] to
67. the main street, and in it is its door. The northern [border extends] to the
turn of the western alley. The eastern [border extends] to the shop
68. that is [part] of its property,50 which divides it from the alley without
crossing it. The western [border extends] to the shop that is [part] of its property,
69. which divides it from the alley that crosses the main street. And [also being
sold is] all of the scalding-house appointed for the scalding of heads
48
It is not clear what this means.
49
Reading "gharb| min."
50
Reading "h˝uqu≠qiha≠."
70. in the protected port of Alexandria in the area of Lesser H˛adda≠d|n. It is a

large house roofed over with wood and palm fronds. Four borders surround it.
71. The southern [border] extends to the oil press known as that of the Banu≠
al-Qawa≠m|. The northern [border] extends to a blacksmith's shop acknowledged
as a possession of Ibnat Isma≠‘|l al-H˛anaf|.
72. The eastern border extends to the passage in the market, and in it is its
door. The western [border] extends to Qaysa≠r|yat al-Nasha≠.51 And [also being sold
is] all of
73. the sesame oil52 press that is in the protected port of Alexandria in the area
of Da≠r al-Jad|dah, Qaysa≠r|yat al-A‘ja≠m, and Furn al-Sabba≠nah.
74. One enters through the door of this oil press into a passage to a [grind]stone
then to kneading troughs and oils. On the eastern side of this passage is a baking
oven then
75. an animal stall. Facing this animal stall mentioned is a store for the sesame
seeds. Next to the baking oven is a staircase. One goes up it on stone steps to an
upper room
76. for the sesame seeds, then to another upper room. Next to the door of the
oil press is a shop, [which is part] of its property, for selling the sesame oil. Next
to the shop is a well.
77. Four borders surround this oil press. The southern [border extends] to
benches and a baking oven, which are religious bequests. The northern [border]
extends to al-Da≠r
78. al-Jad|dah. The eastern [border extends] to the main street, and in it is its
door. The western [border extends] to the ‘Ima≠d| madrasah.
79. And [also being sold is] all of the slaughterhouse appointed for the slaughter
of sheep in the port of Alexandria in the area of the Great Market on
80. the southern side of the street running eastwards in the direction of . . .53
One enters through its door to a long vestibule then to a sa≠ba≠t¸
81. with two pillars roofed with palm fronds and reeds. Four borders surround
it. The southern [border] extends to the bench known for the sale of skins.54
82. The northern [border extends] to the Great Market. The eastern [border
extends] to a shop known55 as [that of] the Banu≠ Sala≠mah and others. The western
[border extends] to the mosque
83. known as the work of the faq|h Na≠s˝ir al-D|n ibn ‘Arab| and to the ruins
51
Possibly a perfume workshop.
52
Reading "sh|raj."
53
Unreadable word in manuscript.
54
Reading "al-maq‘ad al-ma‘ru≠f bi-bay‘ al-julu≠d."
55
Reading "yu‘rafu."
appointed for the growing of taro. And [also being sold is] all of
84. the baking oven appointed for the preparation of grilled meat56 in the protected
port of Alexandria, on the southern side of the street running from it in the
direction of Saq|fat
85. al-Zard|. One enters through its door to a hall in which are two ovens and a
well and a fireplace for scalding heads and sheep. On the southern side
86. of the hall is a well, and on the northern side is a sa≠ba≠t¸ with a pillar and a
large store for slaughtering. Among the properties of this oven is
87. an upper level over the southern side of it. Its [the upper level's] door is on
the north side of the road [that is] next to the oven on the southern side of it. One
goes up to its door on a
88. stone staircase. One enters through it into the hall mentioned. All of the
roof of this place is reeds and palm fronds. Four borders surround that.
89. The southern [border] extends to the road known as that of al-Bat¸lah, in the
front of which is the door of its upper level, [which has been] mentioned. The
northern [border] extends to the house of Ya≠qu≠t
90. al-H˛abash| al-Shaw|. The eastern [border extends] to the passage in the
road, and in it is its door. The western [border extends] to the mill known as [that
of] the amir ‘Alam al-D|n
91. ibn Kha≠lid al-Sulam|.
56
Reading "shiwa≠’."
1. Pharos 16. East Mosque

2. Tower of al-Na≠s˝ir Muh˝ammad Mosque of al-‘At¸t¸a≠r|n
3. Riba≠t¸ al-Siwa≠r 17. Mosque of Ibn al-Ashhab
4. Riba≠t¸ al-Wa≠sit¸| 18. Rosetta Gate
5. Mosque of al-T˛art¸u≠sh| 19. Riba≠t¸ al-Hakka≠r|
6. Arsenal (Da≠r al-S˛ina≠‘ah) 20. Green Gate
7. Textile factory (Da≠r al-T˛ira≠z) 21. Tomb of al-T˛art¸u≠sh|
8. Sea gate 22. West Mosque
9. Center for exports (al-S˛a≠dir) 23. Mosque of Dhu≠ al-Qarnayn
10. Jafa≠r al-Qas˝a≠r|n 24. Mosque of al-Mu’tamin
11. Governor’s Palace 25. Gate of the Pillars
(Da≠r al Niya≠bah) Gate of al-Sidrah
12. Obelisk Spice Gate
13. Weapons Depot (Qas˝r al-Sila≠h˝) 26. Cavalry Pillars and Ruins of
14. Sultan’s Palace (Da≠r al-Sult¸a≠n) the Serapaeum
15. Da≠r Ibn al-Jiya≠b 27. Mosque of the Cavalry (al-Sawa≠r|)
Fig. 1. Mamluk Alexandria
Fig. 2. Funduq al-Bayd˝ wa-al-Qas˝ab
Fig. 3. Funduq and sesame oil press
Fig. 4. Glass-Works
Fig. 5. Dye-Works
Fig. 6. Slaughterhouse
Fig. 7. Dye-Works
Fig. 8. Scalding-House
Fig. 9. Sesame Oil Press
Fig. 10. Slaughterhouse
Fig. 11. Baking Oven

Alexandria - 5

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NIALL CHRISTIE

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Reconstructing Life in Medieval Alexandria

On 12 Juma≠dá I 726/16 April 1326, the Mamluk sultan of Egypt, al-Na≠s˝ir

Middle East Documentation Center. The University of Chicago.

FUNDUQ AL-BAYD˝ WA-AL-QAS˝AB (FIG. 2, LINES 15–28)

description, or Khit¸at¸, of Egypt, refers to two fana≠diq in similar locations in

FUNDUQ A N D SESAME OI L PRESS (FUNDUQ W A-MI‘S ˝A RAT AL-SH|RAJ, F IG . 3, LINES

GLASS-WORKS (ZAJJA ≠JAH, FIG. 4, LINES 45–52)

DYE-WORKS (MAS ˝BAGHAH, FIG. 5, LINES 52–57)

Textiles formed a large proportion of the industry of Alexandria. As one of the

SLAUGHTERHOUSE (MASLAKH, FIG. 6, LINES 57–61)

DYE-WORKS (MAS ˝BAGHAH, FIG. 7, LINES 61–69)

SCALDING-HOUSE (MASMAT¸, FIG. 8, LINES 69–72)

SLAUGHTERHOUSE (MASLAKH, FIG. 10, LINES 79–83)

BAKING OVEN (TANNU≠R, FIG. 11, LINES 83–91)

This, combined with increasing omissions of words (particularly "yantah|" [extends]

house of Muh˝ammad al-Kara≠bil| and the upper level known as

70. in the protected port of Alexandria in the area of Lesser H˛adda≠d|n. It is a

1. Pharos 16. East Mosque

Fig. 1. Mamluk Alexandria

Fig. 2. Funduq al-Bayd˝ wa-al-Qas˝ab

Fig. 3. Funduq and sesame oil press

Fig. 9. Sesame Oil Press

Fig. 10. Slaughterhouse

Fig. 11. Baking Oven

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